The Faceless Murderer
by joelib92
Summary: Beckett and Castle investigate the murder of a plastic surgeon found in Central Park. The doctor was wearing a tuxedo, but found shot twice in the chest neara joggin trail.
1. Chapter 1

"It's research for my new book," Castle said.

"About swimsuit models?" Beckett said casting a scornful look at the copy of Sports Illustrated Castle has tucked in his overcoat pocket.

"I think you might be jealous. Afraid I will find someone more appealing within the pages of this fine collection of art?"

"If you are into Botox, implants and anorexia, be my guest."

"There is nothing wrong with celebrating the beauty of the human body."

I'll bet if it was Alexis on those pages you would be buying up every copy in existence."

Castle scrunches his brow and makes an "O" with his mouth as he considers Beckett's argument. Next he shakes his head vigorously to exorcise the image she gave life to of his daughter posing in one of her new bathing suits she bought for Spring Break. He thinks about making a comment to Alexis when he returns that evening, although he knows how popular that would be.

"So, new case?" Castle asks eager to change the subject.

"Yes. We went to the scene without you since you were obviously occupied," Beckett announced. She retrieves a folder on the desk and opens it to a photo of a man in a tuxedo lying on his back in the grass. Two red circles frame bullet holes in his chest. The white shirt has stains of some kind, which Castle studies closely.

"His name is Doctor Blake Fraley, 46, Park Avenue. We found the body in Central Park near a jogging trail. No sign of robbery, he was still wearing his Rolex watch, gold wedding band and his wallet was full of credit cards and cash."

"What kind of doctor?" Castle asked, paging through the photographs of the crime scene.

"Plastic surgeon," Beckett replied.

"Seriously?"

Both of them survey the Sports Illustrated in Castle's overcoat, now hanging on the chair next to Beckett's desk.

Later that day they visit the practice of Doctor Fraley, Facing a Better You. Beckett turns to Castle who has a sly smile on his face as he reads the name aloud.

"'Facing a Better You'" if I put that in my book my editor would go berserk.

Inside the door they see a large wreath of flowers, clearly intended to mark the death of Doctor Fraley. While Beckett approaches the reception desk, Castle stops to smell the flowers and notices a card tucked into the arrangement. He checks to see if anyone is looking and tugs the card a bit to read the words.

'In honor of the man that taught us to face our imperfections with courage and dignity, we offer this with condolences.' Castle nods his head as he thinks about the hypocrisy of the words. Whoever sent this likely had several thousands of dollars of work done by Doctor Fraley or his associates. Castle looks at the bottom of the card to see no name or indication of who might have sent the arrangement. He flips the card to see the name of the floral shop.

Beckett is still waiting for someone at the reception desk when Castle approaches. On the wall behind is a set of pictures. Doctor Fraley is flanked by color photos of a man and a woman, which seem to be his associates.

"Hey I have heard of her," Castle says. "A friend of mine recommended her to my mother for the laugh lines around her eyes."

"You did not tell me your mom had work done," Beckett replied.

"She didn't. Alexis did some online research and showed her the picture of that celebrity whose plastic surgery went wrong and that was the end of the idea."

"She is probably better off. You know that is just an endless chase of youth."

Their conversation ended when a woman approached in a burgundy pant suit. She looked to be in her mid-40s and had some reading glasses perched on her nose that she pulled off and let hang by the chain around her neck.

"I'm Millie Michaels, the office manager. You are the detectives handling Doctor Fraley's murder?"

"Yes. I am Detective Beckett and this is Mr. Castle."

"He's not a detective?"

"No, he is a consultant."

Millie studies Castle silently for a moment before a wave of realization sweeps her face.

"I know you! You wrote the Nikki Heat books!"

Beckett rolls her eyes as Castle's fame once again interrupts her official police work.

Castle shoots her a quick look of apology before nodding to his fan.

"I know this was based on some attractive New York City detective. You wouldn't happen to be the one?" Millie asked Beckett.

"She is," Castle confirms.

"You must have chosen to describe Nikki differently, because she looks nothing like her."

"Mrs. Michaels," Castle tires to redirect her attention.

"Please, it's Millie."

"Millie, we need to ask you some questions. Is there somewhere we could talk?"

"We can go to the board room. I think I have what you will need in there."

Castle and Beckett share quizzical expressions as they follow the woman into the office suite.


	2. Chapter 2

When Beckett and Castle entered the board room they see piles of folders arranged in neat stacks. The was a post it note in front of each stack, which Mille sensed was necessary due to the amount of information she arranged.

"I have all the patient records for Doctor Fraley for the last ten years, all the cases since he started the practice. I have then arranged by the type of surgery. I also have this, which are the surgeries that were challenged due to the results not matching the expected result. I knew you would ask specifically for those.

This smaller stack is concerning active cases of malpractice Doctor Fraley is facing…or I guess I should say was facing."

"This will be very helpful Millie," Castle offered.

"My DVR is chock full of the detective shows. You know CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, the kind of shows where they always ask for this sort of thing. I know how busy you guys are and I wanted to do my part to speed things along. To be honest I do not know how long this practice can survive without Doctor Fraley. He was the peacemaker."

"Doctor McDermott and Doctor Granger do not get along?" Beckett asked, sensing something worth knowing.

"I'll say. McDermott did not want to hire her. She got a bad rap when that expose aired on the news three years ago. If she and Doctor Fraley had not been friends she wouldn't be working here."

"What was in the expose?" Castle asks.

"The practice she worked for previously charged for work not performed. Doctor Granger was cleared of any wrongdoing, but McDermott was still adamant that she should not be added. Doctor Fraley was grumbling about it last Friday."

"Was there a history of conflict between McDermott and Doctor Fraley?" Castle queried.

"You mean physical? No. Not in the office," Mille nodded her head.

"What about outside the office?" Beckett followed up.

"They had a standing date at the York Racquet Center. I think they worked out a lot of their differences there."

"Well, we will need to take all of this back with us," Beckett said, standing.

"I'll box it up," Millie says.

Riding back to the precinct Castle begins to brainstorm what they know.

"So highly paid doctor of a successful plastic surgery practice goes to the park in a tuxedo and winds up with two in the chest. Why was he in the park in a tuxedo?"

Beckett glances in the mirror at the boxes of files filling her back seat. She wonders how long it will take for them to shuffle all these papers and even if there is anything worth seeing.

"Beckett," Castle says. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes. Why was he in the park?"

"What did Javier and Kevin find?" Castle said referring to the detectives who answered to Kate.

"Very little, nothing that seemed to belong to the Doctor. No information that would explain why he was there. The man's car was not even nearby."

"Who would walk in the park wearing a tuxedo and a five hundred dollar pair of Hanan and Son shoes?" Castle asked.

"Whoever murdered him may have drawn him into the park," Beckett postulated.

"But how?" Castle asked.

"Maybe all this paperwork will tell us," Kate said eyeing the mound of collated files accupying the backseat of her car.

A half hour later they were in the squad room poring over the files. Esposito and Ryan had their own boxes and studied the files of Doctor Fraley's former patients.

"Man I always thought it would be glamorous to be a plastic surgeon, but some of these people are just plain ugly," Ryan announced. He turned a picture from his latest file back and forth as if he though a different angle might help.

"I can remember my brother's first Playboy," Esposito chuckled. "It was the one that had Shannon Tweed as the centerfold."

"Shannon Tweed. Why does that name sound familiar?" Ryan asked.

"She is with Gene Simmons now," Castle answered.

"There is no way she had her work down with his bunch," Esposito declared. "I don't think these clowns are worth their weight in Ritz crackers. I cannot see a whole lot of improvement with most of these. The enhancements they did are not that impressive."

"How come you got the good box?" Ryan groused.

"Hey bro I can trade," Esposito offered.

"How about we see if we can find something to help on the case," Beckett said looking over the file she held.

"Sorry Boss," Ryan said.

"You know we may look through all of this and find no one especially suspicious," Castle said. "We should talk to the wife; see if she knows why the good doctor was in the park."

"We cannot do that," Beckett answered, keeping her eyes on the new file she just opened.

"Why?"

"She returns from a seven day cruise to Alaska in the morning. We can talk to her then."

"Well then, I suppose our evening is going to be filled with the remaining records of the work of Facing a Better You," castle said holding up a bruised 'after' portrait of a woman his mother's age who had received an eyelid lift.


End file.
